Eritrea's Coastal Marine and Island Biodiversity Conservation Project

Fisheries yield started to decline with the Ethiopian colonization and the sector collapsed during the period 1984 to 1990. This period is marked by the
closing down of pelagic fishing for fishmeal and the annual fish catches were less than 250 metric tons.
Since the Independence, in 1993, fisheries started to be revitalized through the building of new or the repair of old or obsolete infrastructures along the
Eritrean Red Sea coast. This was targeted at improving fisheries harvest to increase revenue both to the local fishermen and contribute to the national
economy. In the attempt to maximize fisheries production new efficient resource planning and exploitation strategies were introduced, and emphasis
was given to expand both the artisanal and industrial fisheries. Consequently catch started to grow, largely dominated by the industrial catch, in
particular since 1999.
State of the Coast Eritrea, 2006-2007 23